TRIANGLE CITIES DISCUSS BUILDING INDUSTRIAL PARK

For the first time in the memory of nearly everyone involved, city officials in Eustis, Mount Dora and Tavares are talking seriously about doing something together -- building an industrial park that would serve all three areas.

They don't know where it would be located or what businesses they want to attract, but city managers and commissioners from the three Golden Triangle cities are planning to meet on April 27 to discuss the details.

"It's the first time the three cities have sat down and discussed anything," said Al Rivett, head of the Eustis Chamber of Commerce.

Rivett has put together some tentative figures on the proposed park, which should be between 50 and 100 acres, he said. The land and the services -- including water, sewer, utilities and roads -- would cost about $2 million to $3.5 million. He also said the facility should be located near a major highway and a railroad.

It is an expensive plan but Rivett said all three cities would benefit if it were done together because all are within 10 miles of each other. With populations of 4,000 to 8,000 -- not including residents outside the city limits -- each is too small to easily support separate industrial areas, he said. All need the jobs the park would provide.

The city managers want to attract businesses that are clean and profitable, the sort that cities and counties all over the country are trying to woo. A big, well-placed industrial park could make all the difference in getting those businesses into Lake County, he said.

One question that needs to be answered is whether a private developer could be persuaded to fund all or part of an industrial area. If so, the cities could be saved that expense.

The location won't be chosen until the marketing strategy is decided, Rivett said. Also, the type of businesses interested will make a difference in finding an appropriate area, he said.

Finding a site, however, could trip up the discussions. The city that has the industrial area within its limits would get the extra taxes, unless another arrangement is made. If each insists the park be on their turf, it could "polarize the communities," Rivett said.

The three city managers say they're not anticipating any such problems and that they are looking forward to working together on the plan.

"We're going into this with an open mind," said Mike Stearman, the Eustis city manager. "Our city commission is really excited about this," said Mount Dora City Manager Tony Segreto. "With the freeze hurting all our economies, pooling our resources would be great for the Golden Triangle cities. The benefits would far outweigh any negatives."

A seven-person task force consisting of the managers and staff from the three cities has been set up to study the project. It is a first step toward more extensive cooperation on other projects later on, Segreto said.

It is thekkind of step that Billy Spikes, president of the Lake County Economic Council, would like to see more.